Clematis plant named &#39;evipo078&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Clematis  plant with a compact growth habit, profuse, pink flowers, and continuous summer flowering. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for cultivation in commercial nursery culture. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation from vegetative cuttings.

Botanical classification:

Genus: Clematis.

Species: viticella.

Variety Denomination: ‘Evipo078’

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED PLANT

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Clematis plant which originated from a controlled crossing between the female seed parent, an un-named seedling, and the male pollen parent, an un-named seedling. Both parent varieties are non-patented.

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 2005 and the resulting seeds were planted the following winter in a controlled environment in Guernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom. The new variety named ‘Evipo078’ originated as a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new clematis plant may be distinguished from its female seed parent and male pollen parent by the following characteristics. The female seed parent has red tepals while the new variety has pink tepals. The male seed parent has light pink tepals while the new variety has dark pink tepals.

The objective of the hybridization of this clematis plant was to create a new and distinct variety for nursery culture with unique qualities such as:

-   -   1. Uniform and abundant pink flowers;     -   2. Vigorous and compact growth, making the variety suitable for         container culture; and     -   3. Improved disease resistance.

This combination of qualities was lacking in clematis plants that were in commercial cultivation and the qualities have been substantially achieved in the new variety.

‘Evipo078’ was selected by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in their clematis development program in the Channel Islands, United Kingdom in 2006. Asexual reproduction of ‘Evipo078’ by means of vegetative cuttings and traditional layering was first performed by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in the nursery during the summer of 2006. This initial and subsequent asexual propagations have demonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Evipo078’ are true to type and are transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustrations show as true as is reasonably possible to obtain in color photographs of this type the typical characteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Evipo078’. Specifically illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings is an open flower above view, tepals detached showing reproductive flower parts, and a cluster of flower buds and open flower from the branch. Specifically illustrated in FIG. 2 are leaves attached to the stem and flower bud. Plants shown are 2 years of age.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of ‘Evipo078’, as observed in its growth throughout the flowering period in Marion County Oreg. Observed plants were cultivated for a period of 24 months in 2 liter containers. Certain phenotypical characteristics of the variety may vary under different environmental, cultural, agronomic, seasonal, and climatic conditions. Color references are made using The Royal Horticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, except where common terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the clematis variety Evipo018 described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,267 are compared to ‘Evipo078’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ′Evipo078′ ‘Evipo018′ Flower diameter 130 mm 80 to 90 mm Tepal upper Red-Purple Group Red-Purple Group 71A surface upon 67A opening Tepal count 6 6

-   Flower and flower bud:     -   -   Blooming habit.—Recurrent. The natural flowering period is             generally from May to September.         -   Flower bud.—Size: Normally 35 mm in length. Bud diameter is             15 mm. Bud form: Elliptic broad at the base. Bud color: At ¼             opening Yellow-Green Group 145B. Texture: Highly pubescent.         -   Pedicel.—Surface Texture: Pubescent. Length: On average 20             mm in length with 2 mm diameter. Color: Yellow-Green Group             145B. Strength: Moderately strong.         -   Receptacle.—Surface Texture: Lightly pubescent. Shape: Broad             funnel. Size: 2 mm (h)×2 mm (w). Color: Yellow-Green Group             145B.         -   Flower arrangement.—Location on vine: New and old growth.             Borne: Normally in clusters of 3 flowers on terminal and             axillary buds.         -   Flower bloom.—Size: On average, flowers are 130 mm in             diameter and 20 mm in depth. Profile: Open flowers are flat.             Fragrance: None. Lasting Quality: Flowers normally remain up             to 10 days on the plant.         -   Tepals.—Tepal Color: Upon opening, the upper surface is             Red-Purple Group 67A. The lower surface is Purple Group N78C             at margins, Violet Group 85B intermediate, with a central             bar Green White Group 157A. Quantity: Normally 6 tepals.             Size: 55 mm in length by 30 mm wide. Shape: Individual tepal             shape is elliptic. The tepal apex is acute. The tepal base             is acute. Apex Recurvature: Slightly recurved. Tepal Cross             section: Flat. Margins: Entire. Weak undulations of margin             observed. Persistence: Tepals drop off cleanly.         -   Reproductive organs.—Arrangement: Open. Pollen: None             observed. Anthers: Size: 6 mm in length. Color: Yellow Group             3C. Quantity: On average, 40. Filaments: Color: Yellow Group             4D. Length: 5 mm. Pistils: Quantity: On average, 20.             Stigmas: Level in location relative to the length of the             filaments and the height of the anthers. Styles: Color:             Green White 157A. Length: 12 mm. -   Plant:     -   -   Plant form.—Climbing.         -   Plant growth.—Moderately vigorous.         -   Size.—Seasons growth attains 100 cm in height. Average             spread is 50 cm.         -   Stems.—Color: Juvenile stems are Yellow-Green Group 144A.             Mature stems are Greyed-Purple Group 183A. Internodes: On             average, 10 cm between nodes. Length: Normally 45 cm from             the base of the plant to the flowering portion of the stem.             Diameter: Normally 3. Texture: Mature stems are ribbed.         -   Plant foliage.—Leaf characteristics: Deciduous. Arrangement:             Trifoliate. Leaf Size: Terminal leaflets are normally 55 mm             (l)×35 mm (w). Entire leaves are 130 mm (l)×90 mm (w).             Abundance: On average 2 leaves per 10 cm of stem. Leaf             Color: Juvenile upper Yellow-Green Group 144A with             Greyed-Purple Group 183B at the margins. Juvenile lower             Yellow-Green Group 144A. Mature upper Yellow-Green Group             146A. Mature lower Yellow-Green Group 146A. Stipules:             Absent. Petioles: Size: Normally 80 mm in length by 2 mm             diameter. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Greyed-Purple Group             183A. Petioloule: Size: Normally 20 to 40 mm in length by 2             mm diameter. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Greyed-Purple Group             187A. Leaflet Shape: Generally ovate. The base is rounded.             The apex is acute. Margin: Entire. Surface: The upper side             is smooth. The lower side is smooth. Thickness: Moderate.             Glossiness: Moderately glossy.         -   Disease resistance.—Subject to any disease that normally             attacks the species. However the variety is more tolerant to             clematis wilt, Ascochyta clematidina, than some clematis             known to the inventors.         -   Cold hardiness.—The variety is tolerant to USDA Hardiness             Zone 6.         -   Heat tolerance.—The variety has been found to be suitable             for climate conditions found in the American Horticulture             Society heat zone 7. 

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of clematis plant named ‘Evipo078’, substantially as described and illustrated , due to its abundant pink flowers with good keepability, attractive long lasting foliage and compact growth, year round flowering under glasshouse conditions, suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots, durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitable for distribution in the floral industry. 